NEWSLETTER
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18th
7:00 ASM HELPDESK
7:30P TROOP MEETING
From the SPL
Hey Troop 77,
I hope you all are having a great week. I loved to see all of y'all helping volunteer at the barbeque this weekend!
This week the first years will be doing simple first aid requirements, so make a first aid kit at home! You will also be talking about safety on hikes.
Those who have a PoR during this term need to fill out this commitment form before 10/25, make sure you clearly read through it and make sure you agree to all the terms. https://forms.gle/qmnoePA2utCndhxU7
Finally, this week will be the webelos meeting so live the scout oath and law especially during this meeting and be a good example for them.
I hope to see y'all there!
Yours in Scouting,
Alex King
akingt77@gmail.com
(404)-679-8724
from the scoutmaster
It was another great week of Scouting for Troop 77. First off, let me say a BIG THANK YOU! to all the Scouts, Adult Leaders, and Parents that volunteered at the OGUMC BBQ
this weekend, and especially to Mr. DeLange for all his efforts in keeping all the Scouting Unites at OGUMC organized as possible under the new job assignment system. By the way, if you liked the BBQ, then you should definitely plan on attending the November campout as we will be smoking and pulling pork and chicken, and we plan to have a BBQ sauce competition. Again, if you want to be part of the Friday night cooking team for the November campout and you're up for an extra night off camping then please let me know. Finally, I want to give a personal thanks, especially to some of our Traditional Scouts, but especially our Older Scouts, for making it to the meeting last week. Our attendance was way better, so let's keep that up, including not leaving meetings early. Everyone please remember to keep "drinking the Scouting Kool-Aid, " in a positive way.
At this week's meeting, several Cub Scout Packs will be sending WEBELOS to attend our meeting so they can complete one of their advancement Adventures. So, we need maximum attendance, uniforms looking sharp, and everyone willing to pitch in and lend a hand. This is one of our biggest opportunities to recruit WEBELOS, and if we do not do a good job of it, then the Troop will unfortunately contract if those WEBELOS go out and join other Troops. So, while everyone should bring their “A” game every week, let’s really bring it this week.
Unfortunately, I will not be at this week's meeting due to a travel conflict. Mr. Linneman will be acting Scoutmaster for the meeting with help from Mr. Bryant. Ms. Henderson will be helping the Older Scouts with the WEBELOS at the meeting. All Scoutmaster Conferences for Scout, Star and Life will proceed without me.
REQUIRED PARENT REGISTRATION WITH TROOP
I know we have had some new faces on campouts lately and more parents getting involved, which is awesome and we’re super happy to continue the legacy of Adult Leadership in Troop 77. However, we also have a paramount concern for the health and safety of our Scouts. As such, we have developed rules regarding the number of campouts you can attend before you need to register with the Troop. The information can be found in the Troop’s Parent Guide (https://drive.google.com/file/d/12xkyG7UNGEo4WFUJ07ZYlnqmtbK0CVoX/view?usp=sharing) under Parent Registration with the Troop (see the top of page 11). As an aside, everyone please remember the Parent Guide is a great resource in general and worth a refresher read every year.
PHILMONT 2023 AND JOINING VENTURE
The Venture Crew (working with Troops 77 and 177) still has a few spots open in our co-ed Crew and our all boys Crews for Philmont 2023. If you are interested, please contact me by email.
Even if you do not go to Philmont, please consider joining Venture Crew 77. It is a great opportunity to do Scouting a little differently after age 14 and it goes up to age 21 (where regular Scouts ends at 18). You can also continue working on your Scouting Advancement while in Venture, and Venture PoRs count for Scout PoRs for Advancement.
WEBELOS GAMES CAMPOUT
Our WEBELOS Campout this year will be at Camp Pine Mountain Camp (near West Point Lake), so hopefully it will be a little warmer than our usual November campouts. We are making pulled pork with all the fixin’s for dinner for everyone (like the turkeys we do at Cloudland Canyon every other November). We will be sending a limited number of people on the cooking crew down on Friday and everyone else will arrive on Saturday. If you are interested in being on the Friday Cooking Crew, then please email me and let me know.
POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY (SPECIAL NOTE FOR DEN CHIEFS)
If you need a Position of Responsibility for rank advancement or just to help the Troop, then please talk to Smith Jensen or contact him at smithhjensen@gmail.com. Several PoRs are still open and need to be filled.
If you are a Den Chief (or you want to be a Den Chief) and your name is NOT Landon Keith or Jackson Wade, then please see me at the next meeting or contact me by email to discuss. As of now, all Den Chief PoRs (except for Landon and Jackson) have NOT been approved going forward. We both want and need Den Chiefs, but we need to get some better tracking and assigning of those roles for them to count for PoR credit.
Finally, please make sure you read the whole Newsletter as there is always useful and valuable information therein. Parents, if the Newsletter only comes to you (i.e., your Scout is not signed-up for Remind or cannot access the Newsletter through the web), then please make sure your Scout either reads it with you, you print them a copy, etc. While we need everyone to read everything we put out in any form (Newsletter, Remind, Scoutbook, Email, etc.), it is super-critical that everyone reads the Newsletter and stays current on what is going on in the Troop and upcoming opportunities, etc.
Yours in Scouting,
Clinton Cole
Scoutmaster Troop 77
(678) 595-3332
OCTOBER 2022 DETAILEd cALENDAR
Note: The majority of the dates in this section are on the Troop Calendar. If you have not done so already, please subscribe to the Troop's calendar at https://scoutbook.scouting.org/ics/17077.45861.ics. You can also find the calendar on the Troop's website and in Scoutbook. In addition, on the Calendar page of the Troop’s website, you will find the last update to the Annual Planning Meeting Summary, which will give you an idea of what we will be doing for the next 10 months (the AMPS is subject to change, but it should not change too much).
OCTOBER
10/18
Committee Meeting at 6:30 PM
Scoutmaster Conferences Available with Mr. Cole
7:30P Troop Meeting (attended also by various WEBELOS Packs)
10/21: Registration closes for Caving Campout (1/14-1/15)
10/25
Scoutmaster Conferences Available with Mr. Cole
7:30P Troop Meeting
10/26: Hightower Trail District Roundtable – Location TBD
10/27
Cub Scout Pack 577 “All About Camping” Meeting – OGUMC
District Roundtable (Adult Leaders) from 7 PM – 8:30 PM at Location TBD
10/28: Sign-up closes for November WEBELOS Games and Thanksgiving Campout at Pine Mountain Camp with roasted ham and all the fixin’s and sides for a pre-Thanksgiving treat.
NOVEMBER (early information)
11/1
PLC at 6:30 PM
7:30P Troop Meeting
Meal Planning for WEBELOS Games Thanksgiving Campout
11/4-6: OA Fall Induction Weekend
11/6:
OA Fall Induction Weekend (for Ordeal and Brotherhood Candidates)
Cubapalooza (Troop 77 will be running event) from 2 PM – 5 PM at Chamblee First United Methodist Church)
11/8
ASM Roundtable at 6:30 PM
7:30P Troop Meeting
11/15
Scoutmaster Conferences Available with Mr. Cole
Committee Meeting at 6:30 PM
7:30P Troop Meeting
11/11-13: Atlanta Area Council Conservation Campout (individual sign-up required - NOT AN OFFICIAL TROOP EVENT)
11/12-13: WEBELOS Games and Thanksgiving Campout at Pine Mountain Camp
11/22: NO TROOP MEETING – HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
11/25: Registration closes for Shooting Campout – December 11-12
11/29
Scoutmaster Conferences Available with Mr. Cole
7:30P Troop Meeting
Meal Planning and Patrol Planning for December Campout
CAMPING
November Campout:
November 12-13: Olympic Games at Lumpkin with WEBELOS
The November campout will be a joint outing with the second year Webelos. Scouts will lead the Webelos in Olympic style games and work on basic camp skills. We will also enjoy a Thanksgiving Dinner together Saturday night!
Upcoming 2022/2023 Campouts
November 12-13: Olympic Games at Lumpkin with WEBELOS
December 10-11: Shooting Sports at Lawhorn (trip details coming soon)
January 14-15: Caving at Tumbling Rock (click to access campout information and register)
February 17-20: Cumberland Island Service
March 24-26: Camporee at Bert Adams
April 21-23: Survivalist Extreme
May 12-14: Backpacking
advancement
Congratulations to the following Scouts who successfully completed their Board of Review last week:
Will Henderson earned his Tenderfoot rank on 10/11/2022
Carlson Schaffner earned his First Class rank on 10/11/2022
Board of Review (BOR) - Parents we need your help this week as we have two more scouts have signed up for their BOR. This is the last step for them to earn the rank so it is important. To help, just sign up on the sign up genius link below.
Scouts - If you are ready for your Board of Review, sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D44AEAD29A7FF2-troop
advancement OPPORTUNITIES
CITIZENSHIP IN THE WORLD
Prior to our Troop meeting on October 18th, Mr. Brewer will be leading a Citizenship in the World Merit Badge class. For more information and to sign up, follow the link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054FA4AA2BAAF94-citizenship2
PERSONAL FITNESS MERIT BADGE
The Fall 2022 iteration of the Personal Fitness Merit Badge Class is kicking off next Tuesday, 10/25 at 6:30 PM (the hour before next week's Scout meeting).
In this session we will cover the Personal Fitness MB content and kick off the 12 week fitness process with the initial fitness test.
Please Note: The Personal Fitness MB is a 12-week commitment requiring a regular exercise routine with tracking, food logging, and four separate fitness tests. If you are up to the challenge of completing this Eagle required merit badge then sign up here and come join us next Tuesday.
What to bring: running/walking shoes, water bottle, pen/pencil and something to write on.
Any questions, email Dusty Schaffner: dlschaffner@gmail.com
TEACH CAMPING TO CUB SCOUTS
Help Teach Cub Camping Skills at the Oct 27th Pack 577 Meeting
Pack 577 has asked Troop 77 to provide scout volunteers to teach camping skills at their October pack meeting on Thursday 10/27 at 6:00 pm (you'll need to arrive a little early to set up). Scouts can earn 1.5 to 1.75 service hours. You might teach how to pitch a tent, how to arrange gear inside your tent, fire safety, the Cub Scout 6 essentials, etc. To volunteer, sign up here.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040c4ca9af29a02-teach
merit badge minute
Atlanta Area Council
The AAC will host its Merit Badge Summit at the Scout Volunteer Service Center on Saturday, October 29th. Scouts can choose from over 20 merit badge offerings, including Eagle required badges such as Citizenship in the Nation, Communications and Family Life. Classes last approximately four hours and cost $20 per course. For more information, click here: https://www.atlantabsa.org/MeritBadgeSummit
Bert Adams Winter Camp
Registration is open for Bert Adams Winter Camp. Between December 27 and 31, Scouts have the opportunity to earn up to 5 merit badges. Cost for the 4-night event is $220. For more information, click here: https://www.campbertadams.org/wintercamp
Dunwoody Nature Center
Dunwoody Nature Center has updated its Merit Badge offerings for the fall. For more information, click here: https://dunwoodynature.org/scout-merit-badges/
ADULT COMMITTEE MEETING ON THE 18TH
Please join us for our monthly committee meeting this Tuesday, 10/18 at 6:30pm where we’ll be discussing 2023 annual recharter activities and other committee updates including an IT platform update.
With several monthly campouts, summer camp, and high adventure trips going on we can always use extra folks to help with coordination, bookkeeping, and communication activities.
Yours in Scouting,
Bruce King
Troop 77 Committee Chair
NEED SEWING?
If you need any patches sewn on your shirt or sash, there will be sewing available on the next two Tuesdays, October 11 and October 18. Please bring your items in a labeled Ziploc bag, and find Mrs. Todd in the lobby. Send questions to jantodd4@bellsouth.net. Thanks!
winter Camp
The Atlanta Area Council is excited to offer Winter Camp at Bert Adams Scout Camp for Scouts BSA Troops and Venturing Crews. For 5 days and 4 nights in December, Scouts BSA and Venturers will have the opportunity to camp and play at one of America's premier camps. Our winter camp will introduce unique programs and merit badges that are not available at either of our summer camps. We've pulled together the best of our summer camp staffs for an all-star leadership team. Scouts BSA and Venturers can attend as a Troop or Crew, patrol, or as an individual provisional Scouts BSA/Venturer. Activities include over 60 Merit Badges, Games, Cracker Barrels, an epic Klondike Derby, Cold Weather Camping Activities, Campfires, and other unique programs.
https://www.campbertadams.org/files/42668/2022-winter-camp-flyer
Important Note: If you are interested in attending Winter Camp as a Troop, then please contact Mr. Cole by email at ctcole0308@gmail.com by October 21st so we can gauge if there is enough interest to make this a Troop event or assist you with individual registration.
SCOUT DAY with the ATLANTA FALCONS
Join the excitement of Scout Day with the Atlanta Falcons!
October 30, 2022 | 1:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Join hundreds of your fellow Scouts and leaders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a fun Scout Day with the Atlanta Falcons!
Cheer on the Falcons as they take on the Carolina Panthers in what should be an exciting divisional matchup! All participating Scouts will receive a Falcon's Scout Day Pennant. All $40 tickets have sold out, so act quickly! Tickets now start at $70 and can be purchased by clicking the link below.
NYLT
Only two National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) sessions remain this year. We strongly recommend all eligible Scouts that have not previously attended NYLT to register and take part in BSA’s preeminent Youth training opportunity. This six-day course is designed to equip Scouts with the skills to improve their leadership in all aspects of their daily lives. Led by an exemplary, highly trained youth staff, NYLT participants work hard and play hard together through group activities, games, and adventures as they experience Scouting at its best.
To be eligible for NYLT, before the week you plan to attend, you must:
Be 13 or older
Have achieved First Class or higher
Have completed ILST
Have the recommendation of your Scoutmaster
The remaining 2022 NYLT Session Dates are as follows:
Fall Session (Part 1) - Saturday, Nov 19 2022 - Tuesday, Nov 22 2022
Adventure Camp (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
-AND-
Fall Session (Part 2) - Saturday, Dec 3 2022 - Sunday, Dec 4 2022
Adventure Camp (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
Winter Session - Monday, Dec 26 2022 - Saturday, Dec 31 2022
Camps Emerson & Gorman (Bert Adams Scout Camp)
You can find additional information and register for NYLT at: https://aacnylt.org/
ORder of the Arrow
Hello everyone, this is Ryan Shimabukuro, your Order of the Arrow (OA) Troop Representative. This newsletter contains important information about current and upcoming OA events, and more.
Events and Registration
The link to our Egwa Tawa Dee Lodge website is https://aacegwa.org. It has a calendar of upcoming events and information on how to register for the events. Here are the dates for the upcoming Induction Weekends and the registration deadlines:
Fall Induction November 4-6, 2022 at Bert Adams Scout Camp; register by October 25, 2022
Dues
Yes, there are dues in the OA. This year, and every year, dues are $25. They are due NOW! In some situations, if you did not pay dues last year, then you will need to pay those in order to pay your dues for this year and stay current. HOWEVER, this is important, if you attend OA events in which you pay a fee, the fee should cover your dues.
The Troop does NOT reimburse for payment of Adult or Youth OA dues, unless the Adult or Scout is actively involved in OA (e.g., attends monthly meetings, Chapter and Lodge events, Conclaves, Fellowship Events, Service Events, etc.), in which case you need to talk to me or Dr. Gilbert.
The link for paying dues is: https://www.atlantabsa.org/OAMemberRenewal
What is the Order of the Arrow?
According to the Order of the Arrow’s website (https://oa-bsa.org/), the Order of the Arrow is an honor organization that recognizes Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives. This recognition provides encouragement for others to live these ideals as well. Arrowmen are known for maintaining camping traditions and spirit, promoting year-round and long-term resident camping, and providing cheerful service to others. OA service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich and help to extend Scouting to America's youth.
Etowah Chapter:
The following are the elected officials (and advisor) in our Chapter:
Chapter Chief: RJ Holloway rj@rj-holloway.com
Vice Chapter Chief: Violet Todd violet.todd.7@gmail.com
Etowah Chapter Advisor: Ramus Caribbean EtowahAdviser@aacegwa.org
If you have any questions about the events, you can contact me or RJ, the current Etowah Chapter Chief at rj@rj-holloway.com.
Thanks!
Ryan
Financial Management Support LInks
Attention Parents!
There's a new Financial Management Tab on the Scout/Parent Portal to assist with tracking and management of expense reimbursement and escrow accounts.
Please use the links on this webpage to submit expense reimbursement requests or for campout/other payments that you'd like to pay using your Scout's escrow balance.
Escrow Accounts
Escrow account balance report (please note "as-of" date as these balances change often)
Request Invoice Payment using Scout Escrow Balance
Expense Reimbursement Requests
Grubmaster/Cobbler reimbursement requests
Transportation/Trailer reimbursement requests
Other General Expense Reimbursement requests
SCOUTMASTER CONFERENCES
Scoutmaster Conferences for Scout, Star, Life and Eagle are conducted by Mr. Cole. You can sign-up for Scoutmaster Conference for Scout, Star and Life by using the SignUp Genius on the Troop's Website under Scoutmaster Conferences (https://sites.google.com/troop77bsa.com/scout-parent/scoutmaster-conferences?authuser=0) and following the instructions on that webpage. Scoutmaster Conferences for Eagle can be arranged by emailing Mr. Cole at ctcole0308@gmail.com. IF YOUR SCOUTMASTER CONFERENCE IS BEFORE 7P, ONE OF YOUR PARENTS MUST BE PREPARED TO STAY FOR THE CONFERENCE (SO THAT WE HAVE TWO ADULTS PRESENT AND NO ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT) SO THAT WE CAN REMAIN YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING COMPLIANT.
Scoutmaster Conferences for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class are completed by an Assistant Scoutmaster and should be arranged through the ASM Helpdesk or by contacting Mr. Jensen at garyljensen@gmail.com.
EAGLE COURTS OF HONOR HELP
For anyone (Scouts or Parents) who can volunteer some time to help organize a few things, get things setup, or help take things down at the end of Eagle Courts of Honor, Mrs. Cole could certainly use the help. It’s not an overwhelming amount of stuff to get done by a team, but it starts to get overwhelming if you are having to do it all by yourself. If you’re interested in helping with the Eagle Courts of Honor please contact Holly Cole (hpcole77@gmail.com or (770) 401-4992) and let her know. With a big backlog from COVID and being fortunate to have 1-2 Scouts earning Eagle a month, this is a great way to give some time to the Troop on a night other than Tuesdays and a great place to start volunteering.
UPCOMING COUNCIL/DISTRICT EVENTS
Merit Badge Summits - Saturday, Oct 29, 2022 (https://www.atlantabsa.org/meritbadgesummit)
Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops - November 5, 2022 (https://www.atlantabsa.org/youthtraining)
OA Fall Induction & Fellowship Weekend - November 4 - 6, 2022
National Youth Leadership Training - Session 3 (Part 1) Saturday, Nov 19 2022 - Tuesday, Nov 22 2022 and (Part 2) Saturday, Dec 3 2022 - Sunday, Dec 4 2022; and Session 4 Monday, Dec 26 2022 - Saturday, Dec 31 2022 (https://aacnylt.org)
community service opportunities
Click the link below to see all of the community service opportunities available now.
https://sites.google.com/troop77bsa.com/scout-parent/service
Communication
Remind Application
Troop 77 Parents –
Or text @troop77p to the number 81010
Troop 77 Scouts
or text @troop77s to the number 81010
Troop 177 Parents –
Or text @troop177p to the number 81010
Troop 177 Scouts
or text @troop177s to the number 81010
Scoutbook
At least one parent/guardian MUST activate their Scoutbook account.
Only the linked parent/guardian can activate the scout's access to their Scoutbook account. (If you scout does not have an email please make them a free account at gmail.com)
To activate your Scout's account complete please click here How to activate your scout's Scoutbook account
Scoutbook has a mobile app. Search for “Scouting BSA” in the APP Store or Google Play and download today! Your login is the same as the web version.
Coming soon a scout will be able to check their escrow account, if medical forms are out of date, swim test status and much more